In 3-5 sentences describe something you learned in Unit 3 of this course about energy flow. Be sure to include these words.

autotroph – an organism that captures energy to produce its own food and provide the foundation of the food supply for other organisms
cellular respiration – a process that converts oxygen and sugar into chemical energy and carbon dioxide
consumer – an organism that eats other organisms or organic matter
decomposer – an organism that gets energy by breaking down the remains of dead organisms or animal waste
detritivore – a heterotroph that decomposes organic material and returns the nutrients to the soil, air, and water
food chain – a simplified model that shows a single path in which energy and matter flow through an ecosystem
food web – a model that shows many interconnected pathways through which energy and matter flow through an ecosystem
heterotroph – an organism that cannot make its own food and receives its nutrients and energy by feeding on other organisms
law of conservation of mass – matter cannot be created or destroyed
matter – anything that takes up space and has mass
omnivore – an organism that eats both plants and animals
photosynthesis – the process in which the sun’s light energy is converted into chemical energy for use by the cell
producer – an organism that produces its own food

One thing I learned in Unit 3 of this course about energy flow is that autotrophs, such as plants, capture energy from the sun through photosynthesis to produce their own food, which serves as the foundation of the food supply for other organisms in an ecosystem. Consumers, like animals, obtain their energy by eating other organisms or organic matter, while decomposers break down the remains of dead organisms or animal waste to obtain energy. Detritivores play a crucial role in returning nutrients to the soil, air, and water by decomposing organic material. The law of conservation of mass states that matter cannot be created or destroyed, emphasizing the interconnectedness of all living organisms in an ecosystem.